All Blacks flyhalf Beauden Barrett is recovering well from his latest head knock over the weekend, Blues head coach Leon MacDonald said on Monday.
Barrett was forced off the field in the first half of over the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday after colliding with centre Fetuli Paea and is currently in recovery protocols.
“There is a mandatory stand-down period when you get a bang to the head which he’s going to sit out. The early signs are positive — other than a mangled up face, he’s come out pretty well,” MacDonald told reporters. Concussion and the long-term impact of brain injuries have been brought into the spotlight in rugby since a group of formers players filed a class-action lawsuit against governing bodies including World Rugby in 2020, alleging a failure to minimise the risks.